[Dispatch=Ha Neul Yu] All damages lawsuits filed by Belif Lab and former Ador CEO Minhee have been dismissed. The court did not acknowledge liability on either side.
The Civil합의12 Division (Presiding Judge Jinyoung Kim) of the Seoul Western District Court held a judgment date on the 13th for the damages lawsuit filed by Belif Lab against former CEO Min.
The court dismissed Belif Lab's 2 billion won damages claim. It also rejected the 5 billion won counterclaim filed by former CEO Min.
The key issue at the hearing was former CEO Min's "ILLIT plagiarism" remarks. The court determined the remarks to be an expression of opinion rather than a false statement of fact.
The court stated, "Freedom of expression should be broadly guaranteed in the field of popular culture and arts," and "The evaluation of similarity or plagiarism of creative works can vary depending on individual taste and sensibility."
The court particularly noted the expressions used by former CEO Min at the press conference, such as "copy," "plagiarism," and "imitation." It deemed these to be subjective evaluations of creative works rather than objectively verifiable facts.
The court also considered that online discussions about the similarity between the two groups had been raised before former CEO Min's remarks. It determined that even if viewed as a statement of fact, there was no illegality since it constituted an exchange of opinions on a matter of public interest.
The court also rejected claims of business interference. The court ruled, "Former CEO Min's remarks do not constitute the spread of false information," and "Damages liability cannot be imposed based on this."
The court also dismissed the counterclaim filed by former CEO Min. "It is difficult to view NewJeans' reputation, credibility, and customer attraction as personal accomplishments of former CEO Min," it emphasized, "rather, they were supported by investment and efforts of related corporations including Ador."
The court viewed Belif Lab's rebuttal raised by former CEO Min as also an expression of opinion. It determined that the claim that "former CEO Min raised plagiarism allegations for personal gain" was an interpretation based on the content of the press conference.
Belif Lab issued an official statement immediately after the ruling. "We deeply regret that a verdict was handed down suggesting there is a victim but no perpetrator," the statement said, adding "If we hastily grant a pardon, there will continue to be second and third victims."
The company continued, "The investigative agency forwarded former CEO Min's remarks with a recommendation for prosecution. We requested the court to reopen arguments based on this, but it was not accepted," and added "We will immediately appeal and seek a judgment from a higher court."
This lawsuit originated from former CEO Min's press conference in April 2024. At the time, former CEO Min raised allegations that ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans' concept and performance.
Belif Lab countered that it was false. The company claimed that former CEO Min used ILLIT as a tool for public opinion warfare to secure a favorable position in negotiations over a shareholders' agreement. It presented KakaoTalk conversations between former CEO Min and the former vice president of Ador as evidence.
On the other hand, former CEO Min countered that it was a legitimate raising of concerns to protect NewJeans. She argued that the similarity controversy between the two groups had been raised before her remarks. She explained that there was insufficient basis for the claim that material damages were caused to Belif Lab as a result.
Meanwhile, the court also dismissed damages claims filed by Source Music against former CEO Min on the same day. The court determined it was difficult to definitively classify former CEO Min's remarks as false statements. It also rejected claims of insult and business interference.
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